Following election night, Measure AA too close to call

(Photo by Jacqueline Ramseyer/Bay Area News Group/2006)
A new marker in Rancho San Antonio tells of where Juan Bautista De Anza stopped during his 1200 mile journey from Mexico to San Francisco. Cupertino and the South Bay can be seen in the distance.

Measure AA is all about wide open spaces, but there was little breathing room left on election night.

The June 3 vote on whether to authorize bond sales for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District was too close to call for a victory or defeat.

Voters residing within the sphere of influence of the open space district were asked whether to authorize the sale of up to $300 million in bonds that would be put toward a slew of projects aimed at public access, and acquiring and restoring open space.

As of press time on June 4, Measure AA was squeaking its way to passage with just over 66 percent vote in the affirmative, according to unofficial semifinal results from the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters.

As many as 25 projects are on tap. If approved, bond money would go toward more hiking, biking and equestrian trails and conserving additional open space areas like watersheds, redwood forests and farmlands.

A two-thirds majority vote is required for the bond measure to pass. The measure was voted on by residents in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties.

At press time, roughly 67.5 percent of the vote in Santa Clara County and 65 percent of votes in San Mateo County were in favor. The single vote from Santa Cruz County was also in favor, according to Smart Voter.

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The measure is a general obligation bond that will raise an additional $300 million over approximately 20-30 years. If Measure AA passes, the district will have the authority to sell up to $300 million in general obligation bonds for capital improvements over the next 25-30 years at a rate that will range from $1 to a maximum of $3.18 per $100,000 of assessed property value, according to the district.

The taxes would likely be levied beginning in 2015-16, during the fiscal year after the sale of the first series of bonds, according to the impartial analysis by county counsel.

Projects tied to the passage of Measure AA were conceived during a 16-month visioning project that saw district staff and the public identify 54 priority actions, including a slate of 25 priority regional open space projects. The projects range from opening preserves and building trail connections to improving water quality, protecting the coastline, restoring forests, and creating wildlife corridors.

The Vision Plan was approved Jan. 29 by the district's board of directors. The plan will guide the district's work the next 20-40 years and beyond.

If passed, Measure AA revenue, by law, can only be used for capital projects to improve or increase public access, to purchase land, and to implement environmental restoration projects such as creek and waterway improvements. The measure will also see the creation of an expenditure plan detailing how the bond revenues would be used and for the creation of an Independent Citizen Oversight Committee made up of community members.

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District was created by voters in 1972. The district is charged with caring for 26 preserves and more than 225 miles of publicly-accessible trails, according to the district.

The open space district's seven-member board of directors voted unanimously Feb. 26 to present voters with the measure. Measure AA was the first time the district has asked the voters to vote on a funding measure.

Measure AA was opposed by the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association and wrote the official ballot argument against it. The association questioned how the money would be used and when it would be borrowed. The association also reminded voters that the bonds must be repaid with interest.

The association's rebuttal also referred to the $300 million bond as a tool to "turn an unused piece of land into an unused piece of land" and the cost as "mind-blowingly expensive."